Roots of Change, â€ścollaboratively and systemicallyâ€? working to create a sustainable California food and farming system by 2030, recently launched a statewide campaign to make the vision a reality: â€śOur Common Vision.â€?

The campaign has started with seven meetings across California. Meetings are open to everyone -â€“ whether youâ€™re a â€śfoodie,â€? a food systems manager, a farmer or grower, a restaurant operator, or just someone who likes to eat food.

The fifth â€śOur Common Visionâ€? meeting is tomorrow, March 2nd, in San Francisco, from 1:00-4:00pm at Nextcourse, One Fort Mason. Itâ€™s recommended participants arrive 30 minutes early. And though this is a last minute notice, those wishing to attend should still RSVP (scroll to bottom of this webpage for contact details).

Our Common Vision: â€śBound by a common vision, producers, NGOs, businesses, government agencies, foundations and others will work together to plan and support existing and new projects to reach a sustainable food system in one generation. This system-oriented effort will seek to improve the health of our communities, enact sound agricultural and food policy, create viable jobs, increase market opportunities, and effect positive change in the environment in California.

â€śAttend to learn about:

Proposed initiatives to achieve a sustainable food system

How you can help shape plans and implementation of projects

ROCâ€™s role and proposed services

How you can receive ROCâ€™s requests for grant proposals

How to apply for a 2007 ROC Planning Fellowshipâ€?

Participants should sign-up for the event at Attndr (do so here), and use the website to create a profile and â€śtag-cloudâ€? about oneself. This is important, as the meeting will commence with an exercise drawing on the Attndr cumulative tag-cloud data.

Roots of Change recently completed the "Vivid Picture" project in November 2005. The project released "The New Mainstream" report, a strategy and recommendations for transforming California's food and farming system into a sustainable system by 2030. The report, examining how to â€śmove sustainability from niche to mainstream,â€? provides key recommendations for food access, economic productivity, personal health and well-being, community building, natural resources sustainability, and means for enhancing California cultural identity. Download the report to get a taste of the future.